Identity Crisis (episode)
Geordi and a former shipmate are the only officers left from an away mission five years ago -- the others have transformed into aliens and disappeared. Summary Teaser In the observation lounge, the Picard, Riker, LaForge, and Leijten view a sensor log form an investigation Leijten and Laforge were part of five years ago while attached to the USS Victory. They were investigating the dissapearance of 49 colonists from the Tarchanen III outpost. The other members of the Victory away team, Brevil, Mendez, and Hickman, have now deserted their posts without any warning. A federation supply ship has spotted Hickman's stolen shuttle and it's heading back to Tarchanen III. Act One The Enterprise sets a course to intercept the stolen shuttle. Geordi and Leijten go to Ten Forward to remenise about their days on the Victory and catch up with events. When the Enterprise finds the shuttle, the best looking helmsman ever reports that they have entered the Tarchenen system. Worf hails the shuttle but Hickman doesn't respond. The shuttle aproaches the planet too fast and burns up in the atmosphere. However, sensors detect two more shuttlecraft on the surface, but no life signs. So Picard orders an away team to investiate. On the surface, the away team discovers the shuttle that Mendez stole from the Airies. Inside is a torn starfleet uniform. Geordi finds another torn uniform in the brush and Worf reports that he feels as though they are being watched. Geordi notices that Leijten is missing. The other members of the team spread out to look for her. When Geordi follows some footsteps in the sand, he finds her staring blankly into the darkness. She claims she can feel the missing crew's presence. She starts to shake violently as Geordi calls up a medical emergency beam out. Act Two Leijten wakes up in a bed in sick bay. Dr Crusher reports that her blood chemistry is off and that she's had a histamine response to something unknown. Leijten feels compelled to return to the surface but Crushers orders her to stay on the Enterprise until she can find out what is wrong. Leijten protests, but Picard backs up Crusher's order. Leijten and LaForge are walking in the corridor when Leijten' hands start to tremble. On the bridge, Data examines data collected from the survey. He has found some alien cells, that dont' belong to an knoiwn Tarchanen life form. While Data attempts to find a match for the cells and footprints, Geordi and Leijten decide to go through the mission log to see if there is any commonality they missed that would make the crew return to Tarchanen III to be abducted. As they examine the logs, Leijten becomes agitated and demands to go back to the surface. As she leaves, she begins to shake uncontrollably and collapses. Geordi notices a strange blue growth pattern on the back of her neck and that her fingers have grown together. Act Three Leijten is in a Dark room as she has developed an extreme sensetivity to light. The strange growth patterns now cover most of her body. Geordi comes to visit and comfort her. Crusher discovers that Leijten's cells have now changed to matche the alien cells found on the surface. Crusher theorizes that the missing crew were not abducted, but transformed into a different species. Crusher informs Geordi that he will most likely be next and that he should stay in sick bay. He insists that he needs to work on the investigation. He returns to engineering and begins to examine the logs again. He runs several scans on the data. Then he notices a slight shadow that he connot determine the source of. He tells the computer to create a holo program based on the sensor log data. As he goes to the holodeck he notices that his hand has begun to tremble as well. Act Four In the holodeck, Geordi uses the computer to remove people and their shadows from the simulation until only the strange shadow is left. He then uses vector analasys to determine the location of the objet causing the shadow. He is shocked to discover a human sized invisible shape. He then finds the same physical changes that Leijten experienced are starting to happen in his body. In sick bay, Crusher begins to understand what is happening and finds a parasite in Leijten's thymus. She discovers that her skin is starting to have a mimetic response to light and that the parasite is using her immune system to transform her body. Dr. Crusher operates on Leijten and removes the parasite. She tries to find LaForge, but he has dissapeared. In the transporter room and invisible shape attacks the transporter operator and beams to the surface. Act Five Data develops a method to detect the invisible aliens using ultraviolet light from an emergeny beacon. Crusher, the very quickly healed Leijten, Riker, Worf, and Data beam down to the surface. They find the nearly transformed Geordi, but Leijten is able to convince him to come to her. On the ship, Crusher is able to save Geordi and Captain Picard orders warning beacons placed around Tarchanen III to warn others of the aliens there. Memorable Quotes "You're worried about Geordi aren't you?" "I am an android it is not possible for to feel anxiety. However, I am... strongly motivated to solve this mystery." :-'Dr. Crusher' and Data Background Information *In the scenes set in the year 2362, crewmembers of the [[USS Victory|USS Victory]] are correctly seen wearing the old Season 1+2 Starfleet uniforms and using the early "dustbuster" phaser type-2. Geordi additionally wears an older version of his VISOR. *Other species that propagate by infusing other species with their DNA and transforming them: Taresians, Kobali and Loque'eque. *This episode features some rather unusual guest stars, former Miss Universe Mona Grudt and L.A. disc jockeys Brian Phelps and Mark Thompson. *It took six hours to apply the full Tarchannen III species make-up to LeVar Burton. Links and References Guest Stars * Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa * Maryann Plunkett as Susanna Leijten * Dennis Madalone as Hendrick (Hedrick) * Mona Grudt as Graham * Amick Byram as Paul Hickman * Paul Tompkins as Anthony Brevelle Co-Starring * Brian Phelps as Tarchannen III Alien (uncredited) * Mark Thompson as Tarchannen III Alien (uncredited) * Randy Pflug as Holodeck shape (uncredited) * Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace (uncredited) Parts played by unknown performers * Martinez * Emilita Mendez References ''Aries'', USS; bioscan; Bogrow, Paul; cc; cell wall integrity; chameleon; Cousteau; day watch; DNA; emergency beacon; emitter module; Federation supply ship; gene; EM scan; histamine; infrared sensor; interferometric frequency; ionizing radiation; ionosphere; kayolane; Malaya IV; medical tricorder; palm beacon; parasite; proximity detector; sandstorm; security lockout; sedative; sensor array; spectrographic analysis; Starbase 112; subspace; T-cell stimulator; Tarchannen; Tarchannen III; Tarchannen III species; Tarchannen system; thermosphere; thymus; tricorder; Type-7 shuttlecraft; Type-15 shuttlepod; ultraviolet radiation; vector analysis; ''Victory'', USS; viral crèche; VISOR; visual recording device; warning beacons; Z-particle. Category:TNG episodes de:Der unbekannte Schatten nl:Identity Crisis